HomeMy WebLinkAboutDOWNTOWN TRANSIT FACILITY - PDP - 9-00 - CORRESPONDENCE - HISTORIC PRESERVATION (3)OCT-11-1999 11:06 COLO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 303 866 5739 P.03/03
Tuner
October 11,1999
Pagc 2
Few freight depots continue to exist in Colorado, due largely to the end of LCL railroad service during the last half of
this century. Of the few that remain, most have lost part or all of their loading docks. The Fort Collins C&S Freight
Depot is one of the most intact railroad freight facilities in Colorado. The w�nued existence of its full loading dock
adds significantly to the ability of this building to convey its historic use and historical significance. The loss of the
dock would be a tragic course of events. We certainly hope that the city will continue its stewardship Of this important
part of Colorado's cultural heritage by leaving the depot intact for future generations -
please feel free to contact us if we may provide any assistance in the preservation and adaptive use of the depot.
Sincerely,
Dale Heckendorn
National and State Register Coordinator
OFFICE OF AnCOAF.OLOGY & EUSfORIC PRUO Rv""' rot¢ct, and
The office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation assists individuals, communities• and organizations to &kntify, p
preserve the State's cultural resources and to faster widespread appreciation of and respect for Colorado's cultural heritage.
303-866-3392 • Fax: 303-866-2711 • E-mail• oahp@chs-state-co us 0 Web Site: www-coPia- g
OCT-11-1999 11:05 COLO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 303 866 5739 P.02iO3
COLORADO
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
The Colorado History Museum 1300 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80203-2137
October 11, 1999
Carol Tunner
Fort Collins Advance planning Department
PO Box 590
Fort Collins, CO 90522
Re: Colorado & Southern Railroad Freight Depot (5LR1899)
Dear Carol,
I am writing in response to your request for clarification of our 1995 determination that the Colorado & Southern
Freight Depot in Fort Collins was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Historic Building
Inventory Record submitted to our office documented not only the brick freight depot building but also the 160-foot
long wood loading dock which extends to the north. The dock is an integral part of the depot budding as it provided an
important element in the overall handling of rail freight shipments. Our determination of eligibility including the depot
and all associated loading docks and ramps.
The C&S Freight Depot is associated with an important, and no longer existing, facet of railroad operations. "Less -
than -car --load" (LCL) fieigbt operations constituted an important part of railroad business in the later part of the 191h
and early part of the 2& centuries- A fright or express shipment which did not fully fill a railroad boxcar was
delivered by wagon or truck to a freight depot where it was combined with other shipments headed far alr7ce
destination. The shipments were consolidated at the freight depot and loaded onto boxcars. When the cars arrived at
the freight deport nearest the final destination of the contents, the shipments were unloaded, sorted, and either held for
pickup or delivered by fright or express wagon/truck to the final destination. The loading docks played a key part in
this operation because they allowed freight dollies and wagons to access the boxcars at the same level as the floor of
the rail car. Freight could be rolled off the car, across the dock, and into a waiting wagon or truck or into the freight
depot with minimal lifting. This significantly sped up freight transfers in and out of the depot complex. The longer
the dock the greater the amount of freight shipments that could be handled at any one time without the necessity of
moving boxcars to and from the dock area, an activity that slowed freight transfer operations and raised operating
costs.
Too often as depots have been preserved and adaptively used, many of the associated freight -docks have been removed
or shortened. This is unfortunate as it prevents the depot from fully conveying to a modem viewer the hWnric nature
of its operation. This is particularly true of an all -freight facility. Most depots operated as combination hzAitieg4that
accommodated passengers at one end of the building and freight/express/baggage at the other. A small loading dock
accommodated the limited freight and baggage shipments. Freight depots functioned solely to facilitate the transfer of
LCL shipments. The loading docks constitute one of the most important character defining features of these facilities-
The shortening or total loss of loading docks significantly lessens the architectural and historical integrity of such
depots.
OFFICE OF AWMAZOLOGV & HtgroRic rREs=vA1'tON ties�� to identify, prolecL
and
The Ojice of ArchaeoloV and Historic Preservation assists individualsc � o � r°' wg� ��o •s c+r/tard heritage.
preserve the State •s cultural resources and to foster widespread app► f p�f
303-866-3392 • Fax: 303-866-2711 a E-mail: oahp®chsstate.co.us a Web Site: www-copin.wg